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(No Model.)

0.. H. BLOOD. SHOW oAsE FOR NEEDLES, 6w.

N Patented Sept. 6,1881.

WZbzess as MW W mm/M.

Urvirno STATES PATENT Orrrce,

OLIVER H. BLOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LULU GARDNER BLOOD, OF SAME PLACE.

SHOW-CASE FYOR NEEDLES, ate.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,592, dated September 6, 1881.

Application filed December 10, 1880. (No model.)

spring or springs are employed to press up-.

ward the papers of needles in each cell or compartment, and hold them against a retainer or.

retaining-plate at the top thereof, which overlaps the sides of the cell or compartment sufficiently to hold the papers of needles therein, and yet affords provision for drawing out the papers one by one horizontally, the papers remaining in said cell or compartment being continuallyheld or pressed up against said retainer or retaining-plate.

The object of my invention is to provide a case in which a number of papers or a whole packet of papers of needles may be inserted together and at once into the cell or compartmcnt designed for them, and also to prevent the retainer or retaining plate of any cell or compartment from being accidentally displaced or detached from its securing devices by the act of taking out the top paper of needles from the cell or compartment, and thereby preventing all the papers of needles in that cell or compartment from being thrown out in confusion by the spring or springs therein.

My invention consists in the combination, with a box or case constructed with cells or compartments, as above described, each containing a spring-pusher, of a novel construction of retainers for holding the papers of needles in the cells or compartments, and novel means of securing said retainers in place.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a box or case embodying my invention, having the lid or cover raised to better illustrate the construction. Fig.2 represents a transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 represents a sectional perspective view of a portion of the box or case, illustrating two cells or compartments upon alarger scale than Fig. 1 and Fig. etrepresents a plan of one of the retainers detached from other parts, and on the samescale as Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a box or case, which may be of 5 5 wood or other suitable material, and decorated as may be desired.

B designates a hinged lid or cover with which the box or case is preferably provided, and which is glazed to enable the papers of needles to be viewed without raising the lid of the box or case.

The box or case is shown as provided with three longitudinal series of cells or compartments, 0 0 0 here shown as recessed in the solid wood, and the several series of cells or compartments are arranged at different levels, so that their upper portions may be open at the front, as clearly shown, to permit of the papers of needles being removed or drawn out horizontally therefrom. As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the tops of the cells or compartments are somewhat higher than the cells or compartments O, while the tops ofthe cells or compartments O are somewhat higher than the tops of the cells or compartments 0; and, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, the cells or compartments of each series may increase in size regularly from oneend of the box or case toward the other, the progressive increase in size in adjacent series being in opposite directions Springs or spring-pushers of any suitable character might be arranged in the several cells or compartments, for giving the papers of needles arranged therein a constant upward tendency; but I prefer to use a pusher composed of rectangular bottom and top plates, at a,having two springs, b, interposed between them, and permanently connected to both of them. The bottom plate, a, is preferably flat; but the top plate, a, has its front edge turned down, forming a lip, a sufficiently long to extend below the openings in the fronts of the cells orcompartments, even when the top plate, a, is at the top of the cell or compartment.

In order to hold the papers of needles against the action of the spring-pushers, I employ retainers or retaining-plates D, which consist of plates of sheet metal of a width sufficient to extend from the middle of the partition on one side of a cell or compartment to the middle of the partition upon the other side thereof, the adjacent edges of two adjacent retainers abutting or meeting at about the middle of the partition betweeen them.

In order to enable the top paper of needles in each cell or compartment to be seen, and also to facilitate the withdrawal of said top papers, the retainers are cut awayat the center and front, the portion removed being of sufficiently-less size than the cell or compartment to leave portions which overlap the two sides thereof and also the back, forming flanges for preventing the papers of needles from being thrown out by the spring-pushers, and against which the'papers are raised and held as fast as the top one is drawn out. The open center and front of the retainer enables the finger to be placed upon a paper of needles and drawn instantly and easily outward at the open front of the cell or compartment.

In order to secure the retainers D upon the top of the cells or compartments, I insert in the partition at the back of each cell or compartment a headed screw or pin, 0, and I make in the retainer a key-hole slot, d, the round part of which is of sutiicient size to slip over the head of said screw or pin, while the narrower part of said slot fits the neck of the screw or pin below the head.

To hold the retainers at their front ends I insert in the partitions between the cells or compartments headed screws or pins 0, and I form in the meeting edges of the adjacent retainers key-hole slots (1, formed partly in each retainer, as seen clearly in Fig. 3.

hen a cell or compartment is to be filled with papers of needles the retainer thereof is slipped slightly backward until the rounded larger portions of the key-hole slots 0 c are brought opposite the heads of the screws or pins (1 (1, when the retainer will be thrown off by the action of the spring-pusher. After filling said cell or compartment with papers of needles the retainer is replaced and slipped slightly forward until the narrower parts of the key-hole slots 0 0 are brought under the heads of the screws or pins d d, thus holding the retainer securely in place.

It will be readily seen that any tendency to forward movement which the retainers may receive in withdrawing the papers of needles will serve to keep the narrow portions of the key-hole slots 0 0 under the heads of the screws or pins 01 d, and will thus prevent the accidental displacement of the retainers.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a box or caseconstructed with cells or compartments having their upper portions open at the front, springpushers arranged in said cells or com partmen ts, headed screws or pins d d, inserted in the partitions at the back of and also between said cells or compartments, and retainers D, each having an open center and front and a keyhole slot, 0, and having key-hole slots 0 in their adjacent or meeting edges, substantially as specified.

O. HO \VARD BLOOD.

Witnesses:

FRVEDK. HAYNES, A. G. WEBB. 

